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The Avernum RP, IC Thread

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quote:The year 1135 IE was a turning point for the Empire. A turning point in the sense that, before the turn, the Empire existed, and afterwards, it did not. Rebel resistance had been brewing for years, but the Empire, having vanquished all enemies it had ever faced, did not take it seriously. As it would turn out, that was a terrible, terrible mistake. On the 13th of Remembrance, 1135, the resistance struck, assassinating Emperor Hadrian IV and all Imperial Governors on the four continents. The capitals were burned, coffers ransacked, and general turmoil spread across the land. Empire soldiers were offered a choice between fighting and dying for a falling government, or fleeing and offering their services as hired swords. Most chose to run. With no standing army, a ruined infrastructure, and no organization, the remaining Empire officials were slaughtered or went into hiding.

-Chronicle of the Fall

The chaos following the Fall of the Empire was never documented very well. Some say that history is only written by the winners, and with hundreds of combatants the 'winner' was never clear. Accounts of the years following the Fall are infrequent, heavily biased, and often bear scorch-marks. But not long after the fall, the new political landscape of Ermarian had for the most part crystallized. Factions made war and alliances, but for the most part the significant players in the new Ermarian had arrived.

And then the rakshasi came. Heralded by a massive red star over the continent of Vantanas, their army swarmed over the whole of Ermarian for several months. Factions which had until then seen their power go unchallenged were ground into dust. Understandably, accounts of this time are all but nonexistent.

Fortunately for the races of Ermarian, the rakshasi soon over-extended themselves. Some say that a few legendary adventurers were responsible for the defeat of the rakshasi leader, others say demons from yet another realm helped topple their reign of terror. But one thing was certain: once they emerged from their realm into the world of Ermarian, they could not summon more help. Over time their numbers dwindled, until they were forced to abandon their war. Apart from the occasional lone wanderer, the rakshasi have not been seen for years. The races of Ermarian only pray that they do not reappear.

Following the Time of the Star, the factions of Ermarian set out to rebuild their world once again. Destruction from the rakshasi invasion still scars the continents, and countless lives have been lost. Many factions still have yet to re-establish contact with one another, leading to shattered alliances and gross misunderstandings at former borders.

This world, broken by an invasion unlike any other, is yours. You enter into it as the leader of a faction that survived the war, or one that was created out of the ensuing chaos. Your goals will vary. Some will seek to restore the glory of Ermarian before the rakshasi arrived, some will seek to reshape the world to fit their own ideas. Some will make war, others will seek knowledge and peace. The only sure thing in this world is that you have the power to make what you will from the ruins.

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Suggestions for factions:

Empire splinter groups

Local coalitions

Groups of wandering soldiers, bandits, etc. that have taken over territory

Other groupsAvailable spaces:Valorim (map) - Valorim saw the most conflict between factions out of any continent, with well-documented collapses and wars. This conflict made the rakshasi invasion that much easier, and it is still uncertain how many factions survived the turmoil.

Avernum (and the rest of the caves) (map) - Avernum was largely untouched by the invasion, though it had already experienced more than enough conflict. Contact with the surface was partially disrupted by the rakshasi, and has yet to be fully re-established.

Pralgad (map) - Reports from Pralgad have been few and far between, even before the invasion. The situation is largely unknown there, except that the rakshasi have been driven out.

Vantanas (map) - The site of the raskashi emergence, mainland Vantanas bears the most grievous damage from the invasion. The surrounding archipelagos show similar but lesser amounts of damage. The political situation on the mainland was never truly settled after the Fall, and the rakshasi ensured that it remained just as chaotic. Several volcanoes erupted following the invasion, which some have blamed on the rakshasi as well.

Aizo - After the Fall, Aizo's political landscape never fully crystallized into a set of recognizable factions. It is unknown whether these factions survived the Time of the Star, and thus some have claimed that the few remaining rakshasi have retreated to the woods of Aizo to regroup.

----------Final words: You should develop a general ideology for your faction or a reason for its existence, but it can evolve as time goes on.Players are encouraged to develop alliances, treaties, etc. It is useful to talk to other players through PMs, email, and AIM. Also, please make use of the OoC thread for all out-of-character conversations, because it helps keep this thread uncluttered.

Faction leaders can die or be killed, but it should not happen often. Factions should only be dissolved if their player has been severely outmaneuvered, in which case they can take up another faction.

written Monday, January 7 2008 17:48ProfileHomepage#1The Protectorate of the Lady

Location: The Eastern Province of Avernum. The Lady is based in a rebuilt Fort Avernum. A resettled Cotra, Silvar, and Fort Duvno pay her tribute and garrison her soldiers.

Leadership: The money and brains behind the operation is Lady Calpurnia, and she has purchased the services of Sss-Kai, an experienced slith warrior commanding a small army of mercenaries.

Races: Calpurnia herself if from the Empire. Though she has maintained a few servants from her time on the surface she is now employing Avernite mercenaries almost exclusively. The small army lead by Sss-Kai consists of mostly rugged humans with some sliths and nephil scattered throughout.

Ideology: A true Imperial noble, it is Lady Calpurnia’s intention to regain her lost wealth and prestige by any means available. Since chaos has overwhelmed Avernum as well, she intends to expand her influence there by offering the populace a taste of Imperial order. Taking advantage of a time of utter desperation, she will force the people of Avernum to give up their once coveted liberties in return for a respite from the anarchy that has gripped the land. Safety is a coveted resource in these times, and the Lady offers it in abundance, or at least she claims to, and to most, hope is enough. Those that refuse her generosity are made to see just how valuable her protection can be. Until a day when she can return to the surface, she will not rest until her banner is flown over all of Avernum instead.

Military: Since the collapse of the Kingdom of Avernum, Sss-Kai and mercenaries like him have been feeding off the population of Avernum like your usual bandits. They and the population they plunder had been barely scrapping by when Calpurnia arrived in the underworld. Though she has nearly drained all her fortunes recruiting them into her service, she hopes to convert them from a ragged band of mercenaries into a formal army once the money she is extorting from the population is coming in at a more steady rate.

History: Lady Calpurnia’s family was of some prominence in Valorum before the fall of the Empire. When it crashed and burned and the noble families were hunted down, she fled to Avernum with all the gold she and her small entourage could carry. Lucky for her, it was enough to acquire the services of the mercenary leader Sss-Kai. Since Sss-Kai was already set up in the ruins of Fort Avernum, Calpurnia made her home there. She ordered Sss-Kai to protect and extort the nearby cities rather than pillage them, thus assuring a more consistent cash flow. Thus, she was able to take over and demand tribute of Silvar, Cotra, and Fort Duvno.

The sun cast its essence upon the earth generously as the morning whimmed. Several aggregates of people wandered the streets to utilize such propitious weather. Among their number was Amadis, who confided in patrolling the streets nonchalantly while seeking out prey.

Several women chattered ebulliently while Amadis caught sight of an affluent man entering his home. Amadis sleuthed into a neighboring alley to view the man's actions.

The well-clad individual graciously unlocked his door, at which time a large dog greeted him. The man acknowledged the creature's happiness and walked in. Several minutes later the man emerged with sufficient quantities of money, and locked his marble laden house.

Amadis lay still, trying to avoid the unease of a quail bevy several yards away. He then sleuthed around the adobe structure concealing him and cautiously walked to the unprotected door. He withdrew a dart blowing device from his tunic and crouched uncomfortably on the paved ground.

The resident dog was visible underneath the door, obviously at rest. Amadis rested his head upon the earth, and inhaling irksome shrouds of dust he carried out his action. The dart he projected struck the dog upon the neck. The noxious substance the dart harnessed quickly rendered its effects.

Satisfied, Amadis sat up in order to evaluate the domicile's only barrier. The gossamer door boasted reinforcement by supple yew planks. The lock however, was composed of dull brass and claimed an honest mechanism.

Amadis toyed with the mechanism's inner workings, eventually resulting in the door becoming ajar. He skulked inside and promptly closed the door.

The house's inside was dimly lit, poorly revealing the deceased canine lying against the floor. Foolishly placed in the same room was a intricate chest. Amadis approached it cautiously, avoiding possible traps. Upon realizing no misfortunes were set upon the box, Amadis quickly opened it.

Set upon a mass of felt lay a wicked looking dagger. The weapon seemed to breathe moisture as it radiated an iridescent green. Ascertaining its possible value prompted Amadis to remove it from it's place of rest.---Amadis set a heavily polished ducat on the table in front of him, as well as his recently acquired dagger.

The young sage took but one glance and responded, "You have yourself an assassin's dagger there, Amadis."---------------------------------------Name: Thieves Guild (TG)Leader: AmadisLocation: That which is given in Avernum 3 (Lorelei being the headquarters, possession of a mountain pass between Valorim and the neighboring continent, and control of a valley in Northern Valorim.)Military: No organized armies. Thieves only wield daggers, bows, and thrown missiles. Offensive procedure involves guerrilla warfare and assassination.Racial composition: Mainly human, some nephilJurisprudence: Elected dictatorDescription: The thieves guild is composed of adroit thieves, who band together for profit and protection. Having been in operation for many years, the guild possesses a strong foothold in the land. However, the criminals often face opposition with guards or other varieties of burglars, but the guild has prevailed in spite of these obstacles.

[ Friday, January 11, 2008 20:48: Message edited by: Excalibur ]

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Despite the passage of years, the area still shows the signs of the unpleasantness following the Astar Haakai incident. Several buildings show signs of damage, and others have been left in ruins. Many new ones have sprung up in the meantime, however, and among the new buildings is the largest and nicest in the settlement. "Largest" and "nicest" are relative terms.

Inside is Xivuth, a little older than when we last saw him. His gray hair is thinner, and he looks tired. He is leafing through an old, worn-out book when someone knocks on his door. The woman who enters is much younger, maybe thirty-ish, and has the deep tan of someone who has recently been to the surface.

"No luck so far. Hurr Omimrr is taking a break while his fur grows back."

"I see. What about that group working near Erika's Tower?"

"Remember that cavequake last week?"

"What about i -- oh." Xivuth slumps a little in his chair. "What about that giant demon war on the surface? Has anybody looked in on that? Maybe one of those Rakshasi knows something useful."

"Alaran just returned from Vantanas, actually. She says the war ended years ago."

"We missed the boat, then?"

"I'm afraid so, sir."

"Well, we mustn't get discouraged. I've been doing some reading." Xivuth holds up his book so Nura can read the title, Arcus' Meditations on Demonology. "Arcus claims that powerful demons can sometimes be persuaded to do favors for mortals in exchange for a sacrifice."

"A sacrifice? What sort of sacrifice?"

"Well, he doesn't say. But I figure you can't go wrong with human sacrifice."

"That's very wise, your worship! If I may voluntee-"

"You may not. Arcus does say that the sacrifice, whatever it is, must have a great deal of holy power. What we need is a druid."

written Monday, January 7 2008 22:30ProfileHomepage#4Ivrel, on the island of Krell - Brother Clearwater, leader of the Order of Krell, paused. He stood in the basement of the Council Hall, one of the few buildings to have more or less survived the Time of the Star. His eyes were locked on the pool of water in front of him, where images of far-off temples swam. Most of the temples were half-ruined, some reduced to rubble.

It could have been so much worse...

He had done his best. He had defended the islands entrusted to the Order to the best of his ability, and had never once tried to forsake his duty to the people. And he had restored some peace, at least now that the rakshasi were retreating.

He heard a crashing sound from the rooms above, followed by shouting. Taking to the stairs, the druid quickly found himself in the Council's meeting chamber, along with a lone rakshasa.

Clearwater had stayed away from the front lines in the fight against the rakshasi, and he had not yet stood face-to-face with one of the invaders. So it was quite a surprise to him when the alien drew a curiously-shaped sword and carved a long, deep wound across his chest. This wound would not be healed. The druid crumpled to the floor just as a group of warriors and priests charged up the stairs.

"Brother Clearwater!" yelled Sister Nimbus, the nephil warrior who stood at the head of the group.

The young nephil's mind raced, sizing up the beast. She pulled a wand from her belt, a sturdy oak affair which cast a dazing spell. While the others prepared blessings and more powerful spells, she aimed and uttered a quick blessing. The rakshasa, seeing itself cornered, moved to deliver the fatal blow to Brother Clearwater.

And then a short oaken wand buried itself between the rakshasa's eyes. It was too stunned to defend itself from the cloud of whirring blades which now sped toward it.

The dead rakshasa exited the building through a stained glass window, arcing gracefully to the ground outside the Hall.

While a few warriors sprinted back down the stairs to make sure the fiend was dead, Sister Nimbus knelt by the dying leader of her order.

"Nimbus..." Brother Clearwater whispered. "Take it."

Sister Nimbus nodded solemnly, picking the dying druid's staff up off the ground. Clearwater laid a single hand on the staff, and it glowed a stunningly bright blue. Then, the druid quietly closed his eyes, and passed on to the paradise beyond.

The other druids and warriors in the room shouted or cried, but Sister Nimbus remained silent. There was still much work to be done.

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Faction Name: The Order of KrellLeader Name: Sister NimbusLocation: Spread across Vantanas and the surrounding islandsGovernment: Enlightened theocracyReligion: Nature-worshipDescription: The Order of Krell, whose members are commonly referred to as the Druids, was founded in the year 804 by a mage known as Ephesos, on the island of Krell (situated off the northwest coast of Vantanas). The order began life as a resistance movement against the particularly oppressive Empire rule on Krell. Since the Order's inception, leadership passed along the priesthood, making sure that only the truly devoted could ascend to power in the Order.

For its entire history, the Order has stood for peace, along with the responsible use of the wilds. As a result, the Order has clashed with the Empire several times, even after winning the island of Krell's semi-independence. All territory under the Order's watch is kept pristine and clean, with ecological harmony maintained as best as possible.

Since its founding, the Order has remained open to all races, boasting that even a goblin chose to enter an apprenticeship in the year 1074. The Order has consistently preached cooperation between races, both magical and non-. Controls on magic are minimal, though mages working in Order-controlled lands are careful to avoid polluting the local landscape. The exceptions, unsurprisingly, are any work done with undead or demons, as the Order has a particularly hostile streak towards them. Necromancy is punishable by death.

After the Fall, the Order reached out to the surrounding islands, successfully forging an alliance to defend the people of Vantanas. The Order also aided in driving the human-supremacist Hunters from Valorim. Attempts to make peace with mainland Vantanas were interrupted by the Time of the Star, which resulted in the greatest destruction the Order has ever known.

When the rakshasi left Vantanas, they left behind the ruin of a once great power. However, they failed to completely kill off the spirit of the Order, and the Druids pledge to rebuild the land of Vantanas, and restore the beauty they defended many times before.

Most of the Order's members are trained in priestly and natural magic, and many of its priests have trained extensively as warriors.

written Tuesday, January 8 2008 02:43ProfileHomepage#5
((Excuse my claim-jumping. If you wanted this stretch of land and have expressed intention to use it before, I'll try and get off it for you.))

Refugee Camp South of Old Pergies

The centre of the camp bustled with activity as another wagon pulled in from Delan. Grapsing hands pulled from behind, trying in vain to grab an apple, some bread, anything, before the food was pooled and shared out.

The Time of the Star had ravaged the lands of South-Western Valorim much like the rest of Ermarian, decimating towns and untimely ripping people from this world and thrusting them... where? But there remained a fair amount of hope... Supplies had been pouring in from Delan to the surrounding towns and camps for a month or two now, ever since Field General Sarrin had arrived from Bigail, and the surrounding lands were patrolled at least occassionally...

As the wagon pulled into the distribution cabin, another entered the camp. By now, only a small band of people met it - everybody else had followed the shipment of food, eager to get whatever morsel they could. Times were hard in Pergies, but if the Field General could muster a force big enough to get to the mines, a much-needed source of wealth could be tapped. Perhaps things would return to a state of reasonable normality soon?

Delan

The seat of the Sarrin's power wasn't a seat so much as a tired old inn converted into makeshift barracks. From behind a curtained window, Celsa Sarrin watched the sea begin it's assent up the shore. A local girl herself, she had ridden down to South-Western Valorim as soon as she was able to do so. Most of her family had been lost in the turmoil after the collapse of the Empire, and only she and her brother had survived the Time of the Star, but she felt some loyalty to the hills and mountains, streams and shores of the area.

Perhaps one day, under her leadership, she could make it a place worth living in again?

Faction Name: NONE AS YET.Leader Name: Field General Celsa Sarrin.Location: Packed into the south-western most corner of Valorim, just about stretching to the river west of Krizsan.Description: Made up mostly of refugees from the four towns of South-Western Valorim (Delan, Delis, Pergies, Perrin), and local milita, the faction's aim is to restore order, peace, and prosperity to their lands (and by extension Valorim as a whole) through diplomacy and democracy.

Currently run completely by Field General Sarrin, the eventual aim is to have mayors in each town, selected by civilians, each reporting to a centralised government in Perrin.

The faction is exclusively populated by humans. Seems people don't like non-humans again, after the whole "mad kitties eating babies" debacle. That isn't to say that non-humans will be spitted rather than spoken to, though. The factions "army" is tiny - until more soldiers can be trained/bought/recruited, the faction is only just capable of defending itself.

Location: The primary base for this faction is set up at Fort Dolthar. In addition, there are 6 smaller outposts, three on the shores west, south, and east of Fort Dolthar, one on an island to the north, one on the largest island in the Eastern Gallery, and the final outpost is located at Fort Dranlon.

Leadership: The role of Magistrate, is held by Acrio Sulfi. In addition, two older mages, Denrich, and Master Krynt assist him in maintaining order.

Ideology: The primary goal of Khoth's Disciples is the collection and preservation of knowledge, both magical and mundane. After the revolt, the Tower of Magi was plundered. The disciples managed to slip out with a few scrolls.

Military: Khoth's Disciples has no official military. The Faction is composed of 40-50 mages, most of whom are still apprentices. Of the more powerful wizards, Master Krynt is the strongest; however, his age has slowed his casting abilities.

History: After establishing a base on Fort Dolthar, Khoth's Disciples set about securing their territory with various outposts. In this expansion, they arrived at Fort Dranlon and accidentally set of an explosive trap set by the mysterious Ohvol. Rescued by the Vahnatai lead by Iktin-Bok, Acrio Sulfi learned that Ohvol had been responsible for the destruction of every major city within the Eastern Gallery. Unable to defeat such a foe single-handedly, Sulfi returned to Fort Dolthar to begin further preparations.

The Factions Listed below can be utilized by anyone:

Iktin-BokFirst and foremost, these vahnatai are from a friendly clan. Secondly, they have set up temporary barriers to prevent Ohvol from entering Northeastern Avernum. They have been sent to track down, and destroy Ohvol.

OhvolA deceptive creature from caves even below the lands of the Vahnatai, he uses his abilities to change shape and manipulate weaker-minds to decieve others. It was his talent at this that lead the people of Silvar and Cotra to go to war with one another. Aside from this he is capable of no true magic. Unfortunately, because of his shape-changing ability, no one has seen his true form. He was last seen entering the Great Cave

written Tuesday, January 8 2008 05:48Profile#7
Cult of the Sacred item

Location:Area around Mertis including Honeycomb, and Mertis spiral but nothing north of road to Silvar.Mertis is only city but cults headquarters are hidden deep in Honeycomb for protection.

Leadership:Its primarely ruled by Great Leader Dexa, but usually most influential cultists gather and debate about future moves and thefts.

Races:Humans only are alowed to be in cult.They belive non humans are not worthy to be close to sacred items.Althougt they do use non humans in armies as mercenerys who raid neibors and tax merchants.

Ideology:Cults primar goal is to acuire all items that are worthy(Demonslayer, Orb of Tharlni, Runed Onyx...)Its secondary goal is to expand its teritory and get more members and power.They belive all items are sacred and none besides them is worthy to own them.They are prepared for anything to acuire them and instead of using them they will store it and worship it.They are trying to repet the succes of primar cult that stole Orb or even to outmatch them by accuaring more items.Note, cult supports mage and priest spells.

Military:Consists mostly of golems with some specialy powerfull golems and small number of mercenaries(mostly unemployed bandits)while common members are usually agents who discover special items, steal those items and cordinate attacks and defence.

History:Cult was destroyed when it stole Orb of Tharlni by Avernites and for long time nothing was heard or sean from them.Few individuals that survived hidd and make their plots in secret.They looked with hate anyone with a powerfull items but they couldnt do anything, they were helpless puting anger in future generations and waiting for their time to come.But after the fall of Empire and Avernum there was nothing left to fear so one of them called Dexa organised them and lead the assault on Mertis.They established their land and started thefting some less important items funding their cause by taxing all merchants who pass from Great Cave and Tower of Magi to Eastern Galley.

Future looks bright for them.

[ Tuesday, January 08, 2008 13:38: Message edited by: LakiRa@ ]

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Galvin Magnus and a small company of the Guardians of the Star marched through the ancient and crumbling ruin of Erox, once in centuries past a small trading port for the old empire. It had been overrun by the Rakshasa shortly after the coming of the plagues and since then had never been rebuilt. The horrible aura of the creatures still hung like a chocking cloud over the ruins. It was the perfect place for a Star outpost, deep in the wilds, non-existent on any map and the evil fog gave no hint of their presence to their mortal enemies, the Rakshasa.

Galvin himself was tall, thin and pale-skinned. His features were delicate, with large eyes and a pointed nose. He was bald, wearing a red skull-fitting cap etched with the symbol of the Guardians, a Star bound by four chains.

“We are here” he said, his powerful, harsh voice reverberating off the roofless stone buildings around him. His soldiers, knowing their duty set about with stone and timber. Galvin felt satisfied, this would surely be the first step, the first of many.

Name: Guardians of the StarLeader: Galvin MagnusLocation: Spread throughout Valorim. HQ in old EroxDescription: Lead by the reclusive and powerful wizard Galvin Magnus the Guardians of the Star believe that the Rakshasa were not the only beings heralded by the coming of the red star. They consider themselves the first line of defence should the manifestations of the other world ever appear again. Wielding a reasonably professional army, a small core of spell-casters and modestly adept spies they are a well-designed and well-wielded fighting force. Although chiefly defensive in nature they occasionally hire themselves out to groups they consider capable of furthering their cause at the time, these occasions are however very few and strictly governed by the agenda of that faction at the time. They generally prefer staying on the edge of the scene, and are only just beginning to build a power-base.

written Tuesday, January 8 2008 14:56Profile#9
--Fort Dranlon--Over the time that had passed, Master Krynt had had varying success rebuilding Fort Dranlon. The apprentices he had brought with him were adepts in magic; however, this job relied more heavily on manual labor.The apprentices didn't necessarily enjoy the work; however, they were glad to have something to do. In a few days the main tower would be finished. Then they'd finally be able to sleep in a real building again.

--Fort Dolthar--It had been weeks since Acrio had last heard any word from Master Krynt and his preparations at Fort Dranlon. Though Denrich had taken over the duties of teaching, Acrio still found his hands full with other tasks.Slowly the fish that Master Krynt had enchanted as messengers were dying off. The few that remained limited communications to the outposts. He had been working with Denrich to devise other means of contact; however, as of yet they have only met with limited success.

Because of this, communications with the Kingdom of Avernum became sparse at best. This limiting the trade agreement that had once brough necessary food into the faction. The scarce supplies and strict rationing lead to a few members leaving the group. However, this turned out to be a boon as it meant more food to go around.

--Steamy Caverns--The heat in the caverns was instense; however, it was nothing that Iktin-Bok couldn't handle. The quest to capture Ohvol had taken the vahnatai closer to the Great Cave than he had originally intended. He watched the heat ripple of a distant lake of lava. He knew that trouble was ahead.

--Somewhere in the Great Cave--Rushed. That's how Ohvol felt. He had felt the presence of the vahnatai drawing closer and closer. This was dangerous, for they knew exactly how to detect him, even when he shape-shifted. It was only a matter of time before they caught up to him. His talent of manipulating minds was barely enough to coerce a human apprentice, certainly it would have no effect on a vahnatai. I must leave this place soon...but where can I hide from them...

In the city square, a man stood on a crate, looking over the disillusioned populace. The Rakshasi, the evil monster-kittens, had set torch to here, like all other places, though the city had the fortune of maintaining itself as a human stronghold, unlike the charred ruins of Krizsan.

The man, identifiable by the tattoo of an eye on his forehead, boomed out in a leaders voice: "my people, I come to you from the south lands, south of the bridge. The southern lands have good news, the Rakshasi are gone! Their mighty armies have all been felled, and now only patchs of the monster-kitties remain in the lands south of here. No fear, they will not be able to enter Sharimik, for between here and there lies a mighty force of humans, who will not let them pass alive. We are the Neo-Hunters, a perfected version of the Hunters of old, and we have come here with a message.

In these dark and turbulent times, who was it that destroyed the mighty nations that sprang forth on this Ermarian during the Time of the Star? Non-Humans! Who was it that brutally burned whole cities to the ground, and massacred humans for simply existing? Non-Humans! Who was it that devoured parents infront of their children, then killed the youngest's siblings? Non-Humans! Who were the barbarians who inhabited these lands before us, before the Empire came? Non-Humans! Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to take a stand for Humanity, to protect against those who would destroy. For, as long as the nephil and nepharim, the sliths and the drakes, the dragons and the fae, the whole lot of them exist, there cannot be peace on Ermarian. Magic is not the foe, it is the non-humans. The Anama would have you believe that magic created the Plagues of Valorim, but it was the Vahnatai scum. And what did magic do to make the Rakshasi? Nothing. Ask yourselves, who was it that brought about the two great nations of the world, who invented every single modern invention, who united this world in ways never though possible? HUMANS!"

The battle for Sharimik raged, and the Neo-Hunters had a solid base, the Rakshasi's massacres, to use as a weapon.---Name: Neo-Hunters/HuntersLeader: God Emperor Tygra Nyrulia (Dead, Still Seen as Leader); Imperial Assembly President Claw HardbladeGovernment Type: RepublicReligion: No official, or even dominant religion, in Hunter Lands, and their is unofficial religious freedom.Location: North of Gidrik to the river, east along the river/lake to Porter's Retreat, and west to Farport until river and mountains. Southern border is the road line and the mountains. Small military presence in the ruins of Krizsan.Description: Near the end of the Time of the Star, Claw Hardblade (real name unknown) set about taking back Krizsan from the Rakshasi. His mercenary coalition faced a lot of losses, but eventually killed the Rakshasi there, and also recovered Tygra's corpse. Setting free several human prisoners the Rakshasi were saving as food, the group set off on Rakshasi seacraft to Farport, leaving a token military presence behind. Once arriving in Farport, the general distrust towards non-humans after the Rakshasi invasion led to Gidrik and Porter's Retreat being added to the Neo-Hunter Empire. Wilderness is the southern border, with bands of Rakshasi occasionally showing up, along with bandits, goblins, and nephil/nephar. The three cities have a rather war-weary populace, and as such no plans for military annexation have been made to take the north. Three representatives are selected from each city, with Claw Hardblade, the only surviving original Hunter, one of Tygra's original bandits, serving as their leader. Plans are being made to revive Tygra by means of necromancy.

[ Wednesday, January 09, 2008 19:19: Message edited by: Goldenking ]

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written Tuesday, January 8 2008 22:42ProfileHomepage#11
Angel's Rest. It had been the first casualty of war with the Rakshasa, so it was only fitting that it now was returned to it's former glory. No, more... Farmlands laid out for a quarter mile around the once humble town, blue and cyan flags fluttering gently over the ramparts of rebuilt and expanded stone walls, and people! Almost twice the original population before its fall, the town now bustled with people of all sorts (and species, to some extent). But what was most striking was a large church near the center of town. It too flew the blue and cyan flags, and in great number as well. A symbol of the town's new allegiance.

"That's Angel's Rest. This is where you'll spend your initiation, at least until you are confirmed as an acolyte of the Sanctuary." A young priest walked out in front of an even younger apprentice.

"It doesn't look like a city of nobility..."

"Nobility has a new meaning here. It no longer means wealth, luxuries, and giant abodes. It means power. Both divine and political." The elder waved politely to a nephil farmer and a pair of young humans working a nearby field. "Quiet now; we near the gates."

AMINRO

"Are you sure?" The Divine High Priest of Sanctuary, Iocabe, asked wearily. If what the High Priest of Telkavoth had said was true, his budding nation was about to be encroached upon. The visiting high priest confirmed his report. Iocabe turned and stared out a stained-glass window of the town hall, now converted into a convent for Sanctuary, and pondered the situation. The Sanctuary's territory, consisting of Aminro and Angel's Rest, along with the nearby land between them, was not in immediate danger, but Sharimik had already shown great levels of distrust with non-humans, and if the Neo-Hunters gained more ground, a key roadway between Sanctuary and southern Valorim would be subverted by a force that, considering the Sanctuary's acceptance of non-humans, would be more-likely-than-not hostile. One thing was clear: any ground the Sanctuary had gained in Sharimik was now lost.

Iocabe turned to him and said, "Gather a handful of our best available warriors, priests, and carpenters, both here and in Angel's Rest; bring them before me, so that we can take some precautionary measures."

===================================================FACTION NAME: The Sanctuary of Telkavoth (known more commonly as just Sanctuary)LEADER: Iocabe Havala, Divine High Priest of Telkavoth and of Sanctuary.CAPITOL: Aminro, Central Valorim.GOVERNMENT: Theocracy, worshiping Telkavoth. Priests form the ruling class.RELIGION: The Church of Telkavoth is the official religion of Sanctuary. Amongst the pantheons which include him, Telkavoth is usually the god of Protection and Light. In Sanctuary, he also is the patron god of the nation. Other deities are generally tolerated, but priests of Telkavoth are the only ones who hold any great amount of political clout. Demonic gods, or gods generally considered evil, are not tolerated, though, and any civilian or priest caught worshiping one is, without exception, executed.POPULATION: A little over 400 locally, with a very rare few scattered elsewhere (see overview).MILITARY STRENGTH: Fairly Strong. About 110 men trained in melee combat, and most of the priesthood (making up another quarter of the population) can fight to some degree as well. However, their military power is almost strictly limited to defense, and they have very few idle soldiers for any sort of offensive.OVERVIEW:

The Sanctuary of Telkavoth came about almost accidentally. Shortly before the bloody Time of the Star ended, Central Valorim was nothing short of a wasteland. A tiny handful of traveling priests and healers passed through the area of Angel's Rest, or what was left of it. The place had become a refugee camp, and the arrival of new healers, especially ones capable of defending a small encampment, was enthusiastically welcomed. Soon, the greater priests started rising to leadership through their deeds. Soon, Angel's Rest was no longer a camp, but a small village, returned to a modicum of its former self.

At this time, contact was established with Aminro, which had also started to come back from it's destruction. The contact quickly turned to assimilation, and the two villages aligned did what either separate could not; they started through a massive spurt of growth, with refugees becoming townsfolk, and new people arriving from elsewhere on the war-torn continent. A theocracy slowly formed, with Iocabe coming out on top.

However, the then new-born Sanctuary's progress ground to a halt. Though the Time of the Star had since ended, new problems brewed for the nation. The mineral resources left by the old ruins were exhausted, trading was extremely expensive and almost impossible, and further attempts to expand had been rebutted by other refugee clans and recovering villages who were less than willing to become one with Sanctuary. Not thirsty for more bloodshed, Sanctuary didn't press the issue. Fortunately, they also discovered the abandoned ruins of the Troglodyte Castle, which had doubled as a Rakshasi outpost, and gained an influx of materials from salvage efforts.

In recent times, Sanctuary has been trying to convince the remnants of Sharimik to join them, and was finally starting to have success. Additionally, Sanctuary has started construction. The Grand Cathedral of Sanctuary, which will serve not only as Telkavoth's primary place of worship, but also as Sanctuary's palace and administrative headquarters. However, it's a long ways from being complete.

Sanctuary has a very few intelligence-gathering clergymen located throughout Valorim, and has manged to get one contact all the way in the Vantanas. However, their contact with the outside world is extremely limited despite this, and very few north of Lorelei have even heard of Sanctuary.

written Wednesday, January 9 2008 21:14Profile#12The shore of Krell, mid-morning

The sailboat dropped anchor in a small bay just as the last of the morning fog was burning off. A minute later a rowboat splashed down into the calm water, and three humans climbed in. Alaran the mage sat in the stern and examined a map, lost in thought, while two men each pulled on an oar. Kuge, the taller and thinner of the two, had been an Abyss Knight before joining the cult, and bore a long scar down the right side of his face to prove it. Lenkh, short but muscular, had been the lion tamer in a Solarian circus. The three had come to Krell to capture a druid to sacrifice to their dark god.Five minutes later the trio reached the beach. Alaran consulted a compass while the other two concealed the boat in the brush. "Ivrel's about fifteen miles from here. If we keep a brisk pace we should arrive about dusk. With luck we'll grab a druid on the outskirts, disappear into the night, and be at sea by sunrise."

* * * * *

The sun was just touching the western horizon when Sister Nimbus' eyes snapped open. She had meditated in this clearing many times in the past few years, and this time something was different. Even though she was distracted by the cares of her new position of leadership, she could sense it easily. The rustling in the bushes was not natural. Someone was coming. Startled, she leapt to her feet and silently cursed herself for coming alone. Some of her colleagues had suggested she be accompanied by guards, but she had decided that it was important to make a show of courage in the wake of Brother Clearwater's death. Now, as she slowly drew a wand from her belt, she wondered if that had been a fatal mistake.The three humans that stumbled into the clearing a moment later looked as surprised to see her as she was to see them. Two of them were men and were carrying daggers, but they were not drawn. The third appeared to be a mage. For a few tense moments they stared at her but made no move. Were they hostile or not? Nimbus was just starting to lower her wand when the strange woman cried, "Get her!"Nimbus managed to daze the first man, stopping him in his tracks, but couldn't get off another shot before the second man tackled her. She slashed at his face with her claws, but before she could land a blow his knife was at her throat.The mage spoke again. "Don't move, druid. We're not going to harm you. Kuge, tie her up.""What about Lenkh?"Alaran examined him. "He's out cold. We'll have to leave him.""Leave him? He could be captured.""Unless you plan to carry them both, we have no choice."Kuge started to answer, but checked himself. Minutes later the two of them were marching back toward their boat through the gathering darkness, unaware that they had captured the leader of the Order of Krell.

* * * * *

The Cult of Grah-Hoth That's what outsiders call them, anyway. They tend to have fancier names for themselves, and especially don't like being called a cult.

Location: The extreme northwest of Avernum, where Grah-Hoth's fortress used to be

Leadership: Formally, Grah-Hoth. In his absence, the human wizard Xivuth rules. As Grah-Hoth has been absent since the events of A3, Xivuth's is a position of some importance.

Races: All are welcome. Members are mostly humans and sliths.

Description: Troubled times produce troubled people. Some have lost whole families. Some look at a world in chaos and see the beginning of something much bigger. Some will not feel safe unless they are strong. And stealthily, by whispers and rumors, word of the cult makes its way to their ears.The cultists believe that Grah-Hoth has spoken to them from his prison in the underworld, that someday he will return, and that when he does he will elevate his faithful over all the other peoples of Ermarian. And for any who helped him to return, well, who knows how great his reward might be?The cult's ultimate goal is to bring about Grah-Hoth's return to the mortal plane, any way they can. Luckily, such a goal is enormously beyond their abilities, but who knows what trouble they might stir up in trying?

Military: None. The cult numbers only a few hundred, but many of its members are mages or priests. The rest are well-armed and observe few of society's taboos regarding violence.

written Wednesday, January 9 2008 22:35ProfileHomepage#13
“He has retired for the night, Archmage...” the aide began, before faltering at the sight of Diego’s dark glare. He may have lost an eye years ago, but he tried to compensate with his remaining one.

“He’ll be up, and he’ll see me,” he stated, before brushing past the aide and opening the oak door. Beyond, the Magister’s quarters were dimly lit; a solitary tallow candle flickered on a desk to one side of the room. The Magister himself sat at it, peering at what appeared to be a map of the Karnold Mountains.

Demetrius looked up as Diego shut the door behind him. “Ah, you have returned. Important enough not to have waited until the morning?” Almost absentmindedly, he raised a hand and cast a cantrip; several oil lamps throughout the room lit up.

“Important enough not to have waited,” Diego responded. “Where do you keep your wine?” Bemused, Demetrius pointed to a cabinet in the corner, and the other mage began striding towards it. “North Karnold is still a powder keg, by the way.”

“What else is new?” Demetrius put the map away, and then rubbed his eyes. “So. Have the Anama taken advantage of our absence and retaken Aminro and Angel’s Rest?”

“No.” Diego turned around, a glass of red held in his dark hand. “There’s some new cult in control there now. Seems they moved in and started rebuilding the towns after we pulled out of North Karnold.”

Demetrius could sense the accusation in his voice. “Drop it, my friend. We’ve been over this before. There would have been no way we could have held Golddale had the remnant of your army stayed in North Karnold like you wanted. Instead of having a few mines and farmland razed, the walls would have been breached and we would have a smouldering ruin instead.” Diego merely shrugged his shoulders and gripped his goblet tighter. Demetrius sighed; he wasn’t going to get any more from him. “So this faith controls the two cities. They something we should be worried about?”

The other mage shook his head. “I doubt it, though you’d better ask Denise for her opinion. She spent some time in Aminro.”

“I’ll make sure I speak with Agent Denise in the morning,” the Magister replied. “What about the coast? Has the Anama pulled back to Softport and Sharimik, then?”

Diego took a swallow of his wine before responding. “Softport, yes. The Anama still has a presence there, or so Denise heard. But they don’t hold Sharimik anymore, that’s for certain. And you’ll never guess who does hold it.” Diego leaned forward. “The Hunters are back.”

Demetrius frowned. “Nyrulia is dead,” he stated flatly.

“So? You didn’t expect them to curl up and die after Krizsan was attacked and him assassinated, did you? There’s someone else leading them now, someone who calls himself Hardblade, or something like that. You can guess how little their message has changed. Non-humans are still to blame for all the ills in the world, and pointing to the rakshasi, I’m sure he’s fairly convincing.”

Demetrius chuckled humourlessly. “’Ignorance is the greatest weapon of tyranny, and old wounds open all to easily’,” he quoted. “This new leader wouldn’t need Nyrulia’s charisma to gather people to his cause with a statement like that. Powder keg, indeed. Well, the obvious question is whether or not to restore communications with them. They are a volatile faction to deal with, but if more troops are sent over from Bigail again, we’ll need the military backing. At the very least, we’ll need a buffer.”

Diego snorted. “You forget these are the Hunters. You saw how much enmity they gained when Krizsan was attacked. If they go down again, we may as well. In any case, there’s no honour to be gained in dealing with such racist fanatics.”

“Believe me, I don’t like it any more than you do. But sometimes, what must be done must be done. If we want to rebuild the Empire the way it should have always been, we must survive first.” Diego took another swig of wine, and Demetrius fell silent for a minute, lost in thought. “We’ll have to see what news Agent Celeste and her party brings back from Krizsan province first before deciding on a course of action.”

“Ah. Right.” Diego finished his glass and set it down. “What information has she sent back by pigeon so far?”

“Not much, yet,” Demetrius responded, “and the little we have is troubling.”

--------------------Can you spot the FreeSpace reference? :P

I'm tired, and may or may not repost a faction description tomorrow. In case you've forgotten, this is the Dominion of the Learned - a faction of mages.Posts: 1509 |
Registered: Tuesday, January 10 2006 08:00

The tidied rubble mountains of Delan were silent, free from the scavenging children that combed through them mercilessly. The refugee camp slept still, though not everbody was at peace.

Word had not been heard from Krizsan for days, despite several scouts being sent out. Sarrin poured herself another glass of the disgusting, watered-down snot that passed as wine these days, but left it on the table. She wandered out of the main room of the inn, and into the small barracks where Delan's share of the Empire's miniscule army resided, hoping to find somebody willing to go to the old city.

Krizsan

The city had been ravaged. Being one of the main cities on Valorim, and a port at that, Krizsan had not been spared the relative ignorance that the Rakshasi had imparted on the minor towns to the west. Sarrin's man had just about made it the old city wall in one peace - the roads had mostly passed into wilderness, and were overrun with starving wolfs, eager to snap up living prey for a change.

He found a small niche to rest in for a few hours before completing his assesment and high-tailing it home.

Perrin

As the south west's "breadbasket" (a term used loosely), Perrin was vital to the survival of the humans living in the area, especially after the trade routes from Krizsan had been cut off.Farmers worked day-in, day-out to feed the four towns, although the actual amount of food produced was tiny.

One such farmer, Clint Hardwood, dragged his hoe over the dirt once, twice, before dropping it. He sighed. Before the strife he had been a sage to a wealthy mage in Sharamik. His life had been comfortable. Nowadays, he was constantly hungry, he was tired, dirty, bored. Nobody cared about what he had to say. Most of all though, he thought again as he stared off into the distance, he was hungry. Why should he be breaking his back to feed people working in other towns, when all he got was the tiniest morsel to live on?

Shaking his head to clear it, he began speaking, shouting, to his fellows.

"Stop! Everybody! Stop! Why are we doing this? Why are we toiling to feed those that sponge off us in Delis, those that sit around drinking in Delan, the "miners" of Pergies? I'm sick of it. I say we take this food, and keep it for ourselves!"

He bent down, and began pulling at the sparse crops, tugging them from their roots. A murmur of shock ran through the small assembly, until somebody ran up to him, and pulled him back.

"Clint, we have to help those people! If we don't we'll be left alone again, and when the Rak..rak... When the cats come back, we'll be toast!"

Clint shoved her off. "No! I'm sick of being hungry and tired and filthy! All I want is to have a half-decent meal! And I can't! Well, if I'm to starve to death, so are the rest of you!"

He pulled a tinderbox from his pocket, and tried to light it, once, twice. Too late, a pair of soldiers saw the scene and rushed across to see what was happening. As the town watched on, the fields of Perrin caught fire...

written Thursday, January 10 2008 04:50ProfileHomepage#15
OOC: This is a bit of a flashback to how the Lady took Fort Duvno.

Sss-Kai stood atop his vantage point looking West towards the Fort. The cities of Silvar and Cotra had been easy to assault, as their walls were only partially rebuilt at the time. He was no expert at siege warfare, however, and his mercenary troops were becoming frustrated and were quickly loosing moral. The Avernites in charge of Fort Duvno were actual soldiers, and he wasn’t sure how much of a chance he stood.

A messenger arrived for him, a human messenger, from the surface. He knew immediately that the message must be from Lady Calpurnia. Great, she was probably going to ask what was taking so long. Sss-Kai braced himself for the worst, only to discover that it was far worse than he could have imagined.

The messenger spoke, “The Lady is disheartened by your failure to acquire Fort Duvno in the allotted time.” Sss-Kai wanted to strike this ignorant woman. “She has thus taken it upon herself to capture this bastion, and will be arriving within the hour. That is all.”

“What?!?” Sss-Kai was taken aback by this revelation. The Lady was coming here?

-

Lady Calpurnia arrived with her entire entourage of servants. The fact that she would live with such excess at a time when most were struggling to survive made everyone a little sick, but also kept them in a constant state of awe. She rode in on a lizard drawn carriage, surrounded by her personal guard, all women from the surface. When the carriage came to a halt, the door opened, and a perfectly white hand stretched out from inside. Everyone looked to Sss-Kai. It took him a minute to realize he was supposed to help her out of the carriage. The slith took her hand as she gently stepped from the carriage. Sss-Kai kept his head bowed slightly when speaking to her.

“M’Lady, there wasss no must for you to come here, I have all things under control.”

The Lady looked West towards the Fort, “Oasis in a desert of chaos. Methinks it more unvalued than the world. Thou didst not mean to render it amain?” Sss-Kai assumed she was asking about the assault.

“Uh, we have siege weaponry readied. S’not much, but we should at least be able to sssmash the door down, perhaps ssscale the walls.”

“I shall, not here, abrook such brutish means. Be done with your foul skirmirsh for this day. Accite the captain of yond fortress hence, that I might motion for his banners fall. He shall unto me pay my homage due.”

Sss-Kai was no expert at the human tongue, but he was still quite certain that his Lady did not speak it all that well, either. She spoke funny and constantly used funny words, words he did not understand, like ‘abrook,’ ‘accite,’ and ‘homage.’

-

Captain Randisees of Fort Duvno was surprised to see a white flag among the enemy forces. He had heard of this Protectorate of the Lady. They were led by Imperials, and nothing that they would have to say to him could be any good. None the less, he left the Fort with his finest men to parley with this ‘Lady.’

She awaited him in front of the fortress with only a few of her personal guard and Sss-Kai, whom she requested be present at this meeting. She sat in an elaborately carved wooden throne, clearly a prized possession of a wealthy Imperial noble, thrice as valuable now that it was in Avernum. Randisees approached her, always on his guard, suspecting a surprise attack at any moment. It did not come, however. “Imperials, why are you here? Why do you bring an army? I hope for your sake you’re not trying to start another war.”

The Lady was not interesting in his questions. One of her servants whispered the captain’s name in her ear. “Our world is uncertain in these time. Whom dost thou serve, my Captain Randisees?”

That was the one question she could have possibly asked that the Captain was afraid of. He wanted to say he served Avernum. Yet the last news he had heard from the Great Cave was that the King had been assassinated, again. There was no more Avernum, or, if there was, they didn’t care about him or his men anymore. Who did he serve?

The Lady continued. “The people of this land have suffered much, yet thou dost hide in fortress nigh in vain, away from this our cold and reechy sooth.” The captain wanted to say something but the Lady continued. “How dost escot thou thine good warriors? How dost thou feed them, noble Randisees? With what dost thou intend to pay them kind?” The captain had no answers for this.

The Lady continued. “The people wish one to watch o’er them, and in me shall that savior manifest. They may, with me, find their security, and sith hence from me draw the strength they need. Will thou not add thine name unto my file, that all might live now free of wretched vile?”

The Captain thought for a long moment, looking to his men behind him. “We.. could never serve the Empire. Only Avernum…”

The Lady rose from her throne, pacing around the captain and his men. “The power’s days have long since passed to myth. Am I, your Lady not an Avernite? Stand’s such pedantry in the way of wish? How canst thou not see that mine path is right?”

The Captain knew he had little choice. She was right about one part, at least, he couldn’t pay his warriors much longer. He knew this Lady had control of Silvar and Cotra, the primary money makers in the region. He would have to submit to her, for now. He looked back to his men, then to Calpurnia. “I have little choice. I suppose-“

The Lady reached out her small, white hand in the Captain’s direction, with her palm and fingers facing down. She wanted him to kiss it. Randisees looked back to his warriors in shame, then gently took the Lady’s hand in his and bowed slightly that his lips could reach her hand.

Sss-Kai was impressed. Lady Calpurnia had taken Fort Duvno without spilling a single drop of blood. Oh, and he had learned what homage meant, as well.

-

Within the hour, the Lady’s banner was flying over the Fort in place of the sun symbol of Avernum. The Captain had gone back inside, now with a good number of Sss-Kai’s mercenaries to watch over him. The slith himself saw his Lady back to her carriage. She called him aside to speak with him privately before leaving. “Yess, m’Lady? What is your wish?

“The soldiers here will follow him 'ti death. How can I have a man of power so? My good slith friend, hear now my last command. Once we have gone, take thine most seedy men, and to our noble Captain’s quarters go. There to your art and quickly him fordo, then slay your soldiers that none ever know.”

Iocabe had the message, delivered by carrier pigeon from the Vantanas, brought straight to his office. He didn't want too many people to catch wind about his informant there, for if it became common knowledge, it'd be easy for someone outside of Sanctuary to find out. But what worried him more was the perpetrator.

Iocabe grabbed a pen and quickly wrote a response.

quote:[i] - Nedar,Telkavoth has truly blessed us with this opportunity. A new and hopefully inexperienced leader will be more pliable than one who has ruled for some time. We must act on this opportunity; reach out a hand of friendship on Sanctuary's behalf. Offer them an alliance, and don't be afraid to use his inexperience to our advantage. Avoid being deliberate about your timing though; make sure to emphasize that you had no idea about Clearwater's death. Report back with your results

On a final note, keep your ears open for any and all information regarding the Rakshasa. If anything even mildly suspicious occurs, report it to me at once. We cannot afford to be caught off-guard by the foul felines again.

Signed,Iocabe Havala, Divine High Priest of Sanctuary.

[/i]Iocabe sighed and rolled up the letter. "Guard!" He shouted. The guard outside his office entered, saluted, and kneeled. Iocabe approached him. "Take this letter to the pigeon that arrived this noon, posthaste. It is Telkavoth's will that this be delivered as soon as possible. Also, gather my advisers in here. There are some issues we need to discuss." The guard stood, took the letter, saluted again, and left.

SHARIMIK

A Sanctuary priest watched the crowd carefully. The Hunters' arrival had been an unforeseen setback. Even so, the priest decided to make a final press. Sanctuary had been carefully spreading its message and religion to Sharimik, but now, time was running out. It was now or never, and the young priest knew that she couldn't wait for Iocabe's approval.

She stepped into the town square and said loudly, so that it echoed through the city. "Gather, all weary souls! Gather, victims of the rakshasic plague! Gather, those left out in the cold alone! I come here to bring you hope and opportunity!" She paused briefly. People from all over the city were gathering, as she had commanded. Soon, a crowd had formed.

"All of you know of the rakshasis' crimes against us. All know of the scavenging that we as a race and species are unwillingly committed to, scrounging for our next meal and place of rest. Sanctuary knows this, and offers a choice; Rebuild the world in their name, and rise up as a single power! Reunite the world under a single banner, where no suffering soul will be unheeded! To stand in defiance of the Rakshasi, and proclaim that our spirit will not be torn asunder!"

A massive burst of cheering greeted her final sentence. She smiled lightly, then pressed on.

"A group known as the Hunters would like you to believe that non-humans are to blame for the world's problems. But look how untrue it is! The Nephilim had their brethren slaughtered by the Rakshasi just as brutally as any of us! Slithzerikai were felled like animals in a hunt! What crimes have these races done to you? None! And yet the Hunters would have you commit atrocity against our humanoid brethren! Their bigotry would lead us to our doom!"

The crowd appeared to have been struck dumb by the attacks on the Hunters. A few applauded, but most remained silent. The priest continued to her final proclamation.

"We cannot stand together unless we unite with the other victims of the Rakshasi. They proved that we are weak when divided, no matter what petty reason for the division. If the Rakshasi ever grace Ermarian again, our only hope is to stand united as one nation, and as one force! For together, we cannot fail!"

The reaction was mixed. Some applauded, a rare few jeered, but most started talking amongst themselves. And that, the priest thought, was all that was needed.

written Thursday, January 10 2008 15:16ProfileHomepage#17
Nature's repetition is the best guard against tragedy. The mantle will always be taken up again, as long as someone can stand. -Teachings of the Order

----------

Ivrel-

The council chamber was crowded. Representatives from each island under the Order's banner tried to fit around the meeting table which was designed for sixteen. Now, with the post-Star chaos still largely unresolved, most islands had either sent multiple representatives in case of an attack, or not sent anyone. And of course, everyone was talking at once.

"Clearwater is dead? We cannot deal with another leader right now!""Who is this Nimbus fellow? Oh, not a fellow.""Where is the Order in our direst time of need?"

At the seat normally reserved for the leader of the Order, an imposing slith named Brother Redscale stood watching the group. In Nimbus's absence, he was the highest-ranking druid in the islands, and one of the few surviving advisors to Clearwater. He had led a force into the heart of Vantanas, where they had stood strong against a large force of rakshasi. In that fight, Redscale had allied with a group of similarly-minded demons, in one of the strangest forced friendships ever. They had won, destroying a substantial force of rakshasi. But the cost had been great, and Redscale himself had lost vision in one eye, as well as several claws. It had also shortened his temper.

"SILENCE!" the slith boomed. Everyone listened. "I know you have questions. The Order's first priority is rebuilding the islands, starting with Krell."

A series of small outbursts followed, but Redscale continued. "Any who need shelter may remain here until help can be brought to their island. Rest assured, the alliance will be preserved. Clearwater would have wanted no less." He knew that would win them over... the other emissaries respected Clearwater, and by extension had always trusted Redscale. Hopefully that would not change.

"But where is Sister Nimbus?" asked Rincon, the emissary from the island of Eos.

Brother Redscale sighed and glanced out the window. "We do not know. I have sent a few warriors out to look for her, and Sister Elmleaf is checking the scrying pool. We will find her."

"She's stirring," Kuge said, prodding the sleeping form of Alaran while he watched the bound nephil. He was worried. Xivuth had told them to find a druid, and they had. However, he couldn't help but feel that they had erred.

As an Abyss Knight, he had been well-informed of the political scene of the surface world, and he had heard tales of the druids. That was why Xivuth had chosen him to take part in the mission. But he knew that the druids could be a force when riled...

But he did not know just how conscious Sister Nimbus was. He soon found that she was conscious enough to launch a bolt of holy energy strong enough to knock him unconscious into the ocean.

Alaran jumped up and immobilized Nimbus with a few syllables. He lowered his face down to the deck so she could see him.

"Nephil. Do you know how to sail a ship?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. Nimbus, unable to move, simply growled.

The council assembled before Hardblade. Scouts had reported on two faces, one new and one old. The first, the 'Sanctuary' was some sort of religious cult. They were trying to undermine efforts in Sharimik, which they hoped to make their capital. Not acceptable. Something would have to be done about them, and efforts in Sharimik would be redoubled.

The second, was much more different. The Dominion of the Learned was an invaluable force to have on their side. They could, potentially, wipe out the small settlement of New Hunteria. An ambassador would have to be sent there, and some sort of agreement reached. Even if it was just a mutual peace treaty, it was better then nothing. Magic was stronger than any god in these dark days.

Meanwhile, after these actions had been decided, a young senator asked Hardblade about his name. "Well, when I was young, after the Fall but before the Star," Hardblade started, "I conquered Fort Blades on behalf of the Hunters, as I was one of his original soldiers. There, I read up on its history in the Encyclopedia Ermariana. Back in the day, Fort Blades wasn't the boundary between Upper Avernum and the Empire, it was an inn. The inn's only keeper, Claw Hardblade, earned a reputation as a slayer of the Kitties that inhabitated these lands. And so, I adopted his name."

Claw paused, then decided to give a peice of advice to the Senator. "Now, as the leader of this encampment, I realize that the Hunters had many things wrong, and that Tygra bearly held on to control, so he had to turn Dictator. I know he didn't want to, but it was the only way to keep the Hunters alive. But it shouldn't be worth it if you have to enslave a human. He forgot that the Non-Humans don't just need to be dealt with, the Humans need to be treated how they deserve."

Sharimik

The Hunter spokesperson had, while the Sanctuary man tried to pry at his apparent hold on the city, walked over to a line of human slaves chained to an anvil at the harbor. With a mighty grunt, he smashed the chains with a pick, conveniently right as the Sanctuary man's speech ended.

"My people," he said to the slaves, loud enough for the crowd to hear, "Who did this to you? Slavery, from this day forth, shall not rear its ugly head in this town! We are the Chosen People of the gods, and we must stick together, not put each other in chains! Nevermore, my friends, nevermore!"

The reaction of the crowd was mixed. Liberationists, the freed slaves, and Hunter converts cheered, while the slave traders and slave owners fumed silently. The majority, however, simply stood dumbfounded. Some of them remembered a day, long before, when there were no slaves, under the Empire. That anyone could have the economic muscle to bring this back was great, and many had not welcomed slavery at all, but grudgingly accepted it as necessary for the economy.

With military strength strong enough to prevent the instability of the Time of the Star, and the time beyond, as long as the promise of a strong economy, many talked amongst themselves. The Hunters, it seemed, had no flaws. From the spokesperson, pamphlets began to circulate.

The Pamphlet

The Solution to the Non-Human Problem:by Claw Hardblade

In these dark days, there seem to be no end to problems. Farms are torched. Wells are dry. Wild beasts roam the lands. Bandits kill their own brothers to survive. What is the root of these problems? In short, it's the Fall of the Empire and the Avernite Kingdom. But the problems have their undercurrents going back much farther.

In the early days of Avernum (OOC: This would go so far as A5, as it has been a long time), hostile inhabitants of the caves threatened to spill innocent blood. The Slithzerikai, (sp?) the Nephil, the Demons, the Vahnatai, the Goblins, the Giants, the Nephar, and monsters like cave puddings, all of them fought against the Avernites, and all in turn were defeated, and sometimes integrated. Yet in these days they showed their true nature, a pure barbarian way of life and extreme xenophobic attitudes. The integrated hide these barbaric ways under clothes and humanspeak, but they still hold the same, animalistic feelings in their hearts.

The same holds true for the Empire. Savage Giants existed in a state of constant warfare with each other, and it was only following their extermination that peace graced their lands. More so, primitive Nephil inhabited the Swamps of Dralgath, and were the very hallmark of uncivilized peoples, living in huts and swampland, though frankly they deserved these pitiful conditions. They, in their barbaric lifestyle, attacked the two nearby Imperial cities, and made off with their women and children, like the scoundrels they were. The Imperial Army did a great justice by invading and annexing, greatly reducing the Nephil population. Then the Troglodytes, found in mines in Pralgad, who struck out upon seeing the noble human form, most likely in some sort of bizarre form of envy. They too were wiped out.

And then of course, there's the Vahnatai. Nearly destroying the Avernites during the Empire-Avernum War, they only saved Avernum when they were give the chance to join and kill Imperial soldiers. Not satisfied with this, their hatred for the humans caused them to bring the Plagues upon Valorim. Acidic slimes, disease-bearing roaches, Troglodytes, Giants, twisted alien beasts, and magic weilding golems. Once stopped by the Surface Explorers, the Vahnatai turned their bloodlust to the Avernites, spreading terror and death to the Kingdom, until finally their deadly leader Rentar-Ihrno was killed. Finally seeing the superiority of the Humans, they retreated from the encroaching Humans, although in many cases there were battles, all victories for the Human Race.

Reviewing history, the enlightenment that in reality the great problems of Our Peoples all stem from one, horrid source, the Non-Humans, becomes clear. As the Chosen People of the gods, we must unite under one banner, and do the work of the gods now. Humanity has shown it is superior time and again to the perversions of nature that roam Ermarian, now we must unite, and end this Holy War once and for all. Yet they don't need to be killed, for the Nephil and Slithzerikai have showed themselves to have some potential for decency. No, instead, all that needs to happen is the extermination of the darker races, goblins, giants, etc., and the exiling of the Nephil and Slithzerikai to Avernum, where they may do as they please, far from humanity.

Porter's Retreat

News had just arrived from the Imperial Assembly. A diplomatic envoy was to be sent to the Dominion. The Ambassador, a travelling diplomat in the time before the Star, selling his services to heal relations between the fractured factions, had arrived in town. Calling himself Brother Evergreen, and saying he was from some long gone temple, he had gathered his diplomatic staff. The mayor personally gave him access to the city's coffers, and he took what he felt was neccessary for the journey. Lastly bringing with him a few city guards, he travelled east.

Within half a day, he was at the bridge, the boundary point over which the Hunter Lands ended, and the Dominion began. Walking cautiously onto it, he noticed something at halfway, an engraved line outlaid in bronze. On his side, the word "HUNTERS" was etched in, while on the other side it said "DOMINION". Remembering Hardblade saying this was from the earlier Hunters, under Tygra, as the border, he smiled. Looking up, he saw some figures approaching the envoy from the Dominion side of the bridge.

--------------------"I'm happy I'm the mentally disturbed person I am." -Nioca"Yes, Iffy is a demon." -Iffy"All (Spiderweb) servers should be taken down, erased, and then subjected to dissolution by alkahest." -AloraelPosts: 1186 |
Registered: Friday, June 18 2004 07:00

written Thursday, January 10 2008 19:30Profile#19
--Fort Dolthar--As the bloody remains of the last message fish washed ashore, Sulfi sighed to himself. What else could go wrong? He thought to himself. As if to answer his question, a giant lizard leapt out from the depths of the lake and landed on the nearby shore.

"Come back for more have you?" Acrio Sulfi taunted the creature. He then launched a firestorm spell at the creature. A bit overkill, but he could use the practice.

Sulfi waited as the smoke cleared from the massive explosion. His spell had drawn the attention of a few of the nearby mages as well, including Denrich who was currently teaching an alchemy lesson. "Show off!" He shouted. "Real magic has to do with finesse, not brute--".

Before he could finish his sentence a very large and very irritated Fire Lizard walked out from the smoke. The mud which had disguised it was easily removed by the spell; however, the creature itself remained unharmed. Still turned away, Sulfi failed to notice the creature as it prepared to breathe fire...

--Steamy Caverns--Almost through the massive steam filled cavern, the small vahnatai group led by Iktin-Bok took a brief detour to the south. He had hoped that the Vahnatai cache which had be built here so long ago was still untouched. It would delay them in their mission; however, they were low on supplies and this would certainly do them better than attempting to barter with local Avernites. There was still a great deal of misunderstanding throughout the human lands about the nature of the Vahnatai...

--Outpost South of Fort Dolthar--As the last few minutes of Colton's life slipped by, he hoped that the fish had managed to reach Fort Dolthar intact. He looked around examining the charred remains of the small outpost. He couldn't see them, but nearby a two other mages lay dead. The smell of burnt flesh was in the air; the taste of blood in his mouth. Despite the chaos surrounding him, the air seemed to be filled with silence. He felt no warmth in his own burns, just the chill of the air. Then there was nothing...

--???---It hadn't taken him long to find the passage. But he didn't expect there to be guardians. Attempting to fight them in his current form would be no use. However, Ohvol could change that. And so he did. He easily overwhelmed the first two humans who were caught offguard by the sudden onslaught.Ohvol cursed to himself as the icebolt missed him by centimeters. But just as soon as the battle began, it ended. The human mage seemed to have disappeared into thin air. "Afraid to die human?" Ohvol shouted into the air. It was to no avail. His prey would not be as easily seduced by Ohvol's mind tricks.It was only a matter of time though. He soon caught up with the mage on the shores of the nearby lake. This time there would be no escape. A cascade of flames burst from Ohvol's mouth and torched the young magi. Fire lizards are quite effective killers...

An ancient map was spread out on Iocabe's desk, and three priests were crowded around it. Iocabe spoke first. "The Hunters are pushing in from the south, attempting with great success to take Sharimik for themselves. Any news on their intentions?"

"Yes," said an older battle priest. "It appears that they intend to restore the Empire to what it once was, and they're using the Rakshasi catastrophe as an effective means of leverage. On the outside, they seem almost perfect, which means we'll be hard-pressed to expand ourselves."

Iocabe nodded, then turned to a younger priest trained in healing. "What about our economic status?"

"Food production is good enough to support our current population plus some, but if we're to grow, we'll need more. Unfortunately, food is the only thing in good supply; we're making expenditures in both wealth and resources at a rate we can only sustain temporarily. The Cathedral is only making things harder, too. Our construction efforts there are going well, but they're pulling a bit more than is desirable."

"That cathedral is the will of Telkavoth, we cannot abandon it." Iocabe said testily.

"Very well, but our salvaging efforts are only going so far to alleviate the problem." The priest warned.

"So... that leaves moving outward. We can't sustain ourselves at such a small size; we need to expand. But how? Softport would make a great city for our nation, but the men there still hold loyalty to the Anama, and we can't take it by force, simply because it defies the message we send. The mountains both shelter and bar us, and with the Hunters bearing in from the south, we're effectively cornered."

Silence permeated the room, followed by a nervous cough from the guard. "Yes?" Iocabe asked bluntly.

"Well, sire, you remember the history of the Giants and Troglodytes?" The guard asked nervously.

"Of course. It's not uncommon knowledge."

"Well, my great-grandfather once took me near the site of the Giants' occupation. It's right on the other side of the mountain. Now, we all know that the two forces went to war because of the great Avernite adventurers, right? Thing is, I was a bit of a historian, and there's very little information on the massive fights which should have taken place near Lorelei and Softport, which is where the two forces would have clashed. So little, in fact, that I started wondering if they ever took place at all."

Iocabe was getting irritated. "Yes, what's your point?"

"Well, if the fights didn't take place there, where did they? The two obviously didn't evaporate into thin air, which only leaves one option: they had to have had some sort of direct route through which to attack each other."

"A direct route... under the mountain?"

"Aye, I think so. It's the only explanation that makes sense."

Iocabe thought on it. The odds on an ancient tunnel under the mountain still being intact were low, at best. But the opportunity was their best shot at establishing more ground, which was exactly what they needed.

"Fine. Advisers, you are dismissed. You," he turned to the guard, "will go to the troglo castle and assemble a group of scouts, consisting of a token force of priests and warriors. Scour the ruins thoroughly, and see if you can find anything like the route you described." Iocabe dismissed the guard, and leaned back in his chair.

SOMEWHERE NEAR IVREL, NIGHTFALLNedar digested the contents of the letter quickly, and promptly burned it. He then puposefully marched off towards Ivrel while the hawk that delivered the letter roosted in a nearby tree.

OOCI apologize for firing off another IC so soon, but I decided to get the planning out of the way early.

written Thursday, January 10 2008 21:49Profile#21Krell, the same night

Lenkh regained consciousness in the same spot where he had fallen. For the first few seconds his mind was a complete blank, and he registered the fact that he had no idea where he was with a kind of detached interest. As he woke up the events of the previous day came back one at a time, and for a brief moment after he remembered being hit and falling he was afraid that he was dead. As his eyes adjusted to the moonlight, however, he recognized the clearing where he'd fallen, and what really happened became clear.

"She left me. Alaran left me behind."

(For the benefit of the uninitiated, the appropriate responce to this kind of situation for a member of the Cult is "such is the will of the Exiled." Lenkh, however, was only patrially indoctrinated.)

"That witch!"

Only a few hundred feet away, the Order's search party was approaching the clearing where Sister Nimbus was known to meditate. They had set out very soon after Nimbus' absence was discovered. When they heard shouting, they covered the remaining distance at a run. The sound gave Lenkh enough warning to get a head start, but not enough for him to vanish before the searchers were hot on his heels.

At Sea, early morning

On the boat, an uneasy truce prevailed. As Sister Nimbus took in a sail under Alaran's watchful eye, she went over the situation in her head for what seemed like the millionth time. Alaran did not know enough about sailing to handle the boat by herself, and Sister Nimbus could see this easily. For her own part, Nimbus could probably have sailed the boat on her own, provided the weather did not turn bad, but did not know what the boat's course and speed had been before Alaran had released her. Even now she could make only a rough guess at their direction based on the position of the sun; the night had been too cloudy for her to observe the stars. Without this knowledge she had no clue of the boat's current location, and thus no guarantee that she would strike land before the boat's limited supply of water gave out.

"And before that," Nimbus reflected to herself, "I'd have to overcome her first." Nimbus' spirits sagged a little at this thought. Alaran was watching her like a hawk, and from what she had seen so far Nimbus guessed that Alaran would be a match for her in a fight. Even if she won she might be too seriously wounded to heal herself. The exchange of spells might sink the boat. No, she concluded, as she had concluded every time before. She would have to wait for land.

Alaran's thoughts were no more optimistic. The plan had been to take the most direct route possible across the sea and trek through the jungle to the spot where her fellow cultists were constructing the portal. With good wind the trip by sea would have been over by now; if this light breeze held it would probably take another day. The hike overland would require two. At no point during either could she afford to fall asleep. If worst came to worst she could abandon the mission and teleport away, but after this incident capturing a second Druid would be much harder. Plus, it would mean abandoning the boat.

"Boats are expensive these days," she mused inwardly. "I'm not sure we can afford another." Amidst these practical considerations a line from the Exile's Creed drifted unbidden into her mind. With joy we lay down our lives for Thee. That settled it. One of her brethren had already died for this damned Nephil, whoever she was, and that sacrifice would not be wasted if she could help it. She had visited the Vantanasian mainland before, and she'd heard that some of the local plants had stimulant properties. With luck, the druid would know which they were.

written Thursday, January 10 2008 22:33ProfileHomepage#22
New days will always dawn. -Teachings of the Order

----------

Ivrel-

The last of the candles were burning down in the Council Hall as the various emissaries awaited news of Nimbus's whereabouts. Some where asleep, some were busy arguing (quietly) about reconstruction, and some just sat staring out the window, which still had a rakshasa-sized hole in it. Brother Redscale sat at the base of the window, half-meditating and half-asleep.

The dawn came. Just as it always will... the druid thought.

Then, a knock. Brother Yewbark, the senior druid who barely escaped Woodsmuir when the rakshasi came to level it, had brought a messenger.

"Redscale, a messenger from Valorim." Yewbark said. He then bowed and left.

The messenger seemed nervous, and clearly did not expect to enter such a crowded room. The sleeping council slowly began to wake as the visitor approached Redscale.

"I am Nedar, and I come bearing goodwill from the Sanctuary of Telkavoth, and I wish to speak to Brother Clearwater."

Redscale sighed. Sanctuary? The Hunters wanted to make a sanctuary...

The slith stood, dwarfing Nedar by a significant margin. "Brother Clearwater was fatally wounded by a rakshasa several days ago, and he has passed on. I am Brother Redscale, and you will speak with me instead. What is it you wish?"

By now, the council was fully awake. At the very least, fully conscious. Nedar was clearly uncomfortable at this point. Iocabe had not told him to expect this, and Nedar had a bad feeling that treating this slith like the 'inexperienced leader' that Iocabe had spoken of would result in a fairly painful death.

"I wish to extend the offer of an alliance, on behalf of the Sanctuary of Telkavoth. Our groups share similar goals, and in this time of need it would benefit us both to aid one another's recovery from the rakshasi invasion."

"If it is aid you want, you have come to the wrong place. The Order is busy rebuilding itself, and our next priority is to help re-unite the divided mainland of Vantanas."

Some of the council members began to chime in:"Go back to Valorim, spy!""We've got enough problems of our own!""And what'll we get from you? Nothing!""Show him the way the rakshasa went!"

Redscale lifted a hand to silence them. "You see, we have been troubled by the events of Valorim in the past, and our involvement has deprived our people of the resources they require. You might remember the Hunter menace of the days before the Star?"

At this, Nedar's eyes lit up. This was the chance to cement an alliance. "So we have a common foe! The Hunters still linger in Valorim, and they threaten our border."

The Council grew agitated at the mention of the Hunters. Most were still under the impression that they had been crushed. Redscale made no motion to silence them.

"Nedar of Telkavoth. You are correct in that we have a common foe. Some here have lost family to the Hunters, and we have pledged to help destroy them in the past. But you will listen to me, and you will understand."

Nedar, unsure, nodded.

"You are in the lands of the Order of Krell. And your leaders would not be the first to underestimate our might. Even after the Time of the Star, we are strong. And know this. If you make one threat, one mistruth, maybe one idle boast, I will not hesitate to have you-"

Nedar cringed.

"-returned to Valorim on a slow barge."

The messenger relaxed, and Redscale smiled.

"However, you might not be alive to enjoy the journey. Come, we have much to discuss."

Sarrin blinked, once, twice, before standing, and drawing her sword. "Well? Bring the bastard to me!"

Pergies

Bad news travels fast, and an hour after Clint Hardwood had been executed in Perrin, the four towns were rife with panic. With most of the crop destroyed, there was no doubt that unless people did somethign drastic many would die. Talk turned to overthrowing the remnant Empire armies that had watched over the area, but that wouldn't accomplish anything.

Whispers travelled through the ranks of Sarrin's soldiers too. She just wasn't up for the job, and many considered leaving for the relative safety of a bigger city, Sharamik, Gale, a new continent altogether. That would mean deserting the people though, and many couldn't bear to do that.

The four towns were close to falling apart for the third time in recent years.

Somewhere East of Krizsan

The line of soldiers marched on, lead by a fully armoured man on horseback. They had been travelling for several days, starting out in Dawn, but finding that nobody really wanted an Imperial Dervish hanging around. To be fair, it was somewhat of an anachronism, but his old status should've meant something. It had been like this since the Fall, but Gathin had hoped that the memories of Rakshasi armies rampaging over the land would make people warm to the idea of one Empire again, even if it wasn't the corrupt, bloated Empire of yore.

Everywhere they had passed the story had been the same. Most people were keeping to themselves, and so it was decided that the tattered banner of the Crown that had been "liberated" from the ruins of Blackcrag Fortress all those years ago would go to the home of Gathin's fathers - Delan. Gathin had heard rumours that his sister was down there, that she had moved back home after her husband had been murdered during the Time of the Star.

And, even if she wasn't, he was tired of walking, and he was tired of being told "no". He would go to Perrin, to Delan, to Pergies, and he would unite the people there, before turning his attention outward, to Krizsan, and Sharamik, and Bigail.

The remnants of the 51st moved along the road west of Old Colchis, and made for Krizsan at full speed.

written Friday, January 11 2008 09:06ProfileHomepage#24KRELL COUNCIL CHAMBER, IVREL

"I fully understand," Nedar said cautiously whilst seating himself, "that you are hesitant to trust outsiders, and that for now, Sanctuary has little to offer on terms of gifts and wealth. However, we do offer unification against the forces that would wish to tear us asunder. We merely ask, for now, that you accept our offer."

Several council members scoffed at this. Nedar pressed on. "In return, we offer intelligence on the state of Valorim, as well as a small delegate of men to aid in the rebuilding of Krell and Vantanas."

VALORIM, AMINRO

Iocabe watched a flag flutter in the breeze. The flag and emblem of Sanctuary both bore the same symbol: a silver blade with a ruby inset upon the pommel, the Sword of Telkavoth. The news of his priestess's speech in Sharimik was disheartening, as the Hunters were unlikely to take kindly to a direct attack on their ideals. He had to prepare.

Iocabe turned and went to his bed. Two stands at the foot were shaped like the representative blade of Sanctuary. He grabbed the one closest to the wall by the hilt, and gave it a twist. The wood of the post gave little resistance, swiveling counter-clockwise. It made a quarter turn, then stopped with a click. Iocabe then lifted the hilt, and it pulled away from the blade, revealing a real sword with sheath hidden inside. It was a short sword, one that matched the depiction of Telkavoth's sword almost exactly. However, the flag failed to capture the truth of the sword's essence. The blade put off an excessive amount of warmth, feeling as if it had sat above a fire. The ruby inset in the weapon let off a deadly crimson glow, and anyone who neared the blade would have been able to feel the power radiating from it.

Iocabe attached the sheathed blade to his side, and partially concealed it under a cloak. Sometimes, the most assertive diplomat is of steel, not flesh, and if the Hunters got too bold, Iocabe would not hesitate to show them as such.

ANGEL'S REST

"Well done, Wevern. Well done." A priest shook his head in disbelief at the mage's stupidity. Not only had he failed in subduing and altering a wild worg into an even deadlier creature, but he had succeeded in blowing up his house.

"Hey, I thought that would work!" The slightly crisped mage yipped. "And it would have... if I had remembered the potion I was brewing at the time was volatile."

"Nevertheless, we can't go around performing odd experiments and such, not when we have such limited resources, and especially because you are one of said resources."

The priest stalked off, leaving Wevern to stare at the smoldering remains of his house.

IN THE RUINS OF THE TROGLODYTE CASTLE

"Anything?"

"No, not yet." A small force of priests and soldiers scouted out the upper level of the castle.

"This isn't panning out." The soldier leading the group said briskly. "I think it's time we look around the lower level and see if there's anything down there."